Henry's Leprechaun
by RealTears
Summary: This story takes place during the quite time after Henry and Vicki started working together and before all the issues that led to Deep Dark.  Pure fun.  I hope you enjoy.  Characters based on Tayna Huff's work and the TV show Blood Ties
1. Chapter 1

**Henry's Leprechaun**

The little green man sat in the corner of the bar angry with life. He'd been doing his best to be noticed for the last two hours and no one had seen him. He'd played, teased and deceived for centuries but the people of today didn't see his kind. They didn't believe and they didn't care. Somewhere along the line mothers forgot to teach their children to watch for the wee folk, be kind to them, to help and be careful not to be tricked by them. It was a sad state of affairs when a leprechaun with a pot of gold in his hands couldn't attract attention in an Irish bar on St. Paddy's Day.

Henry wandered into the bar looking for a quick bite that didn't involve anything more than a nod and a bit of mind control. He didn't want to arrive at Vicki's party hungry and cranky like he'd been the last few times he'd seen her. It was getting harder and harder to keep their relationship at the level she needed when he wanted all of her. He looked around at the bunch of laughing, dancing, drinking people and didn't find anything remotely appetizing. He was about to leave when something in the corner of the room attracted his attention. He stopped, stared and slowly moved toward the little man holding a huge black pot.

The little fellow made eye contact and grinned from ear to ear. "Ah, faith and begorrah ye can see me."

Henry raised an eyebrow, "That I can."

"Do ye believe in me?"

"Yes."

The little man shoved his pot of gold into Henry's arms and said, "Keep it safe until I come for it."

"I'm not staying here."

"I'll find ye when I want back." The little fellow winked out and Henry found himself holding a small plastic container looking like a little black pot filled with gold foil wrapped candy.

Shrugging, Henry stuffed it in his coat pocket, turned and left the bar. In the parking lot he saw a man trying to change a flat tire. Taking advantage of the situation, he helped with the tire and took a bit of blood in payment.

Vicki put a green bowler hat on Henry's head as he walked through the door and took his coat to throw on the bed with the others when she noticed the bulging pocket. She took out the black plastic pot of gold foil wrapped candy and smiled.

Holding it in her hands she found Henry standing and talking with Coreen leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek, "Thanks Henry this fits right in with the other decorations."

He tried to stop her as she placed it on the table filled with all kinds of Irish decorations and party foods. Dismayed Henry moved at vampire speed and placed the little pot out of site on the floor under the table.

Mike came in soon after holding a dish of corned beef and cabbage. He shoved it into Vicki's hands saying his landlady brought this over just before he was leaving. While she was holding the dish, he gave her a sound kiss making sure Henry saw him staking his claim on Vicki. Henry gave Mike a 'toothy' grin back and mouthed, "Later." Vicki placed the dish on the table and looked around for her little pot of candy. Puzzled she glanced around the room and didn't see it.

When Mike was cornered by Dave, Henry made sure Mike could see him come up behind Vicki and give her a kiss on the neck. Henry laughed at Mike's mental image of Henry being staked.

Soon friends of friends and neighbors started arriving. The sounds of laughter and Irish music filled the air along with the smells of good food and drink.

Henry kept an eye on the black pot to make sure it wasn't touched. One guest dropped something on the floor bent down to pick it up and saw the little pot and put it back on the table. Later someone else needed to make room for another dish and moved the candy to an end table. So far the pot had been lifted, shifted, moved and dropped but no one managed to eat any candy. Henry had discretely removed it from several hands that had tried opening it during the party. At one point he distracted Coreen from opening it with a kiss on her hand and a suggestive wink. He knew he'd regret that later but it was the only distraction he could think of in a hurry.

Towards the end of the evening as people were leaving Vicki made sure that dishes, and leftovers were taken back. Vicki tried to send the candy home with guests when it would either be set back down while coats were being put on or handed back with a polite no thank you.

After most of her guest were gone, Vicki sat down on the couch and saw the little pot of candy sitting on the coffee table. She picked it up and looked at it carefully. Mike came out of the kitchen holding his empty dish and said, "If you don't want that, I'll take it."

Henry walked over and took it from her hands and said, "No. She gave it to me."

Vicki thought back over the evening and how many times she'd seen the pot and how many different places it had been. She even recalled giving it to several different guests to take home but couldn't remember giving it back to Henry.

Mike and Henry stood staring at each other waiting to see who was going to leave first. Finally Vicki stood said, "Good night, both of you." And kissed each one on the cheek and shoved them out the door locking it behind them. She turned around and saw the little pot sitting on the table by the door.

She picked it up and said, "What am I to do with you?"

Henry stood in the shadows and watched Mike drive away before turning back to Vicki's door. It would be easy enough to get inside and get the pot back once she went to bed.

Henry had the little pot in his hand when it grew hot to hold and let it fall from his fingers. Before it touched the ground the little man appeared holding the huge pot of gold to his chest.

"Ye did it boy. Ye kept me gold safe. I'll be granting ye one wish."

Henry thought about it for only a moment. "A night of love and sharing with her." And he pointed to Vicki's room.

"It's not often I'll grant a wish without keeping the trick a secret but because ye kept the faith I'll tell. For the rest of this night the two of you will share all of the love you've ever imagined and she'll share her deepest secrets and fears with ye. Ye will remember everything and she will remember nothing."


	2. Chapter 2

Released by the setting sun, Henry took his first deep breath of the night and hated himself. Since the party, each rising was filled with regret for what he had done to the most important person in his life in over two hundred years. How could he willingly let a mere leprechaun get the upper hand over him, a vampire, and a prince before and after death? He wasn't sure how, but he knew he had to make it right before he could face Vicki Nelson again. Moving at vampire speed, he was dressed and out the door of his condo within minutes after sunset determined to find the little green devil that caused his current problem.

Vicki spent hours in half a daze thinking about the most amazing dreams she'd ever had. They were so real she could still feel the loving arms around her and hear the whispering voices sharing a lifetime of secrets. The lover of her dreams learned all her hopes and fears. He'd heard the things that made her happy and the things that made her sad. The pillow lover shared of himself as well and she knew that there was no one living that could satisfy her the way she'd been satisfied in her dreams.

Mike stopped by late in the afternoon a few days after the party to see a distracted Vicki sitting at her desk tapping a pencil in rhythm to a sound only she could hear.

Mike placed his hands on the desk and bent down so that his head was eye level, "Earth to Vicki."

Vicki looked up and didn't recognize him at first then jumped slightly, "Oh! Mike. Sorry. I was thinking."

Giving her a sarcastic look he replied, "I guess you were. The place could be burning and you wouldn't have known it. Whatcha working on? A new case?"

Embarrassed to admit she was thinking about a dream she said, "Nope. Nothing new, just trying to line up a few ideas on an ongoing investigation."

"What help?"

"Sorry. There's nothing you can help with."

"Come on Vick. You know we work well together. I'm sure I'd be able to give you some new angles."

Vicki remembered another bit of the dream and shook her head no. "Thanks for the offer, but no thanks." Standing up and turning off the desk lamp she added, "I'm heading home. There's a few things that still need to be put away from the party."

"What a lift? I wanted to let you know it was a great party and maybe spend some more time with you."

Vicki laughed, "Yeah. It was good having us all together without a body or a mystery or a demon being the guest of honor. You and Henry did a good job playing nice."

Mike looked around and said, "Speaking of HRH, where is he? He's usually manages to make an appearance whenever I drop by?"

Shaking her head she said, "I haven't heard from him since the party."

Mike smiled, "That's too bad. Is it too much to hope he's found something else to amuse him and he'll leave us alone from now on?"

With an annoyed smirk she said, "Yes it is. If I don't hear from him soon I'm going to pay him a visit."

"Can't you be content with just me?"

Frowning and giving her answer serious thought she said, "I need to know both of you are safe."

Henry found the little leprechaun sitting in the corner of the bar clutching his pot of gold watching at waiting.

"You didn't do me any favors." Henry accused.

Shifting the pot behind his back, the leprechaun said, "Didn't mean too. Ye had your wish. Go away."

Henry moved at vampire speed, snatched the pot and felt it turn in his hands to plastic and saw the foil wrapped chocolates.

Jumping up and reaching for his gold the little man demanded, "Give it back!"

Henry held it over his head, "Tell me your name."

Dancing from one foot to the other in indecision the little fellow finally said, "Sweeney McPheeney. Now give it back!"

Henry lowering the pot, still out of reach but better for Sweeney to see, he said, "Help me make it right with Vicki and you'll have it back and I'll add a gold sovereign from my father's time."

Greed lit up the leprechaun's eyes, "What's done is done and cannot be undone, but I'll tell the trick of it. Ye and she must do the rest."

Vicki opened her door and dropped her bag on the floor by the table. She spied the little back pot of chocolates and said, "There you are again. If I didn't know better I'd say you were a leprechaun's pot of gold."

She heard Henry's voice coming from the living room, "Good for you Vicki. That saves some time."

Vicki turned to the living room and said, "Isn't there any place you can't break into?"

"Not really when I'm determined, but in this case you told me where the spare key was. I need to talk to you."

"About what?"

"The party."

She held up her hand and counted down the reasons. "You had a good time. You and Mike behaved and there were no bodies, mysteries or evil events and you want me." Thinking about the dream and wanting to fall asleep and get back to it she walked to the door, "Good night Henry. I'm glad you had a good time and that you're okay. I'm tired and want to go to bed."

"You've had a dream and want to get back to it."

Vicki stiffened as she snarled, "What do you know about my dreams?"

Henry took a deep breath and said, "The first time it wasn't a dream. It was me with you."

Doubt clouded Vicki's eyes, "I don't believe you."

Henry repeated one of Vicki's secrets about how she felt the night her father left. She shook her head and said, "Lucky guess. Any child would feel the same." Henry then told her what he learned of her reasoning for backing away from a relationship with Mike including what bothered her about his family and her vision problems. Henry could see she was still unsure and added what it was that bothered her so much about a relationship with him.

Vicki flew at him with a screech and started pounding away at his chest with closed fists throwing punches usually reserved for the fighting rink. Over and over again she said, "How could you?" Henry took the hits without fighting back until her rage faded.

Taking her fists in his hands, "I'm so sorry Vicki. It wasn't entirely my fault." Henry pointed to the little man now visible sitting next to the pot. "Meet Sweeney McPheeney. He's a leprechaun and did a bit of magic the night of your party. I wished for a night of love making and sharing secrets with you. He granted it. You had no choice in the matter. I regret I let the choice be taken away from you."

Hiccuping she asked, "Why tell me now?"

"I care more about you now even more than I did before. I can't stand for you not to know what was done to you. My conscience wouldn't allow me near you and I, a prince and vampire, feel guilty about my behavior and I need your forgiveness."

Henry looked at the leprechaun, "Tell her."

Sweeney stood, "This is what I said: **For the rest of this night the two of you will share all of the love you've ever imagined and she'll share her deepest secrets and fears with ye. Ye will remember everything and she will remember nothing. **But I added a bit more under me breath, the lady would have dreams of impossibly beautiful love until the truth be told and then she'd remember all."

Vicki glared at Sweeney, "What's next?"

The leprechaun grabbed his pot stood and said, "The both of ye will have to work that out."

He started to fade from view, but before he was gone Henry dropped a coin into the pot saying, "I keep my word."

Then Henry dipped his chin and looked up into Vicki's eyes, "I'll do whatever you want."

He looked so young standing there with his head bowed and his eyes gazing into hers pleading for her to forgive him. The dream that wasn't a dream came to mind and she asked, "Did you feed from me?"

"No. The vampire side of my nature was not part of what happened between us."

"You remember everything I said?"

"Pretty much and I shared only the truth about myself with you that night."

"We'll have to be very careful guarding each others secrets."

"You're forgiving me then?"

"Let's just say I'll work on it."

Henry stepped forward kissing her lips and placing his hand on her rib cage in a way she favored.

Breaking away from the kiss she sighed, "You paid attention. Now get out of here before I lose the strength to ever kick you out again."

"Am I welcome at the office?"

Jabbing him in the chest with a pointed finger, "Don't even think about not coming by. If you want your secrets to remain safe, you better be a frequent visitor."

Henry's face broke into a grin, "With bedroom privileges?"

Laughing and kissing his cheek she opened the door and said, "Don't push it Henry."


End file.
